Retired Army Col. John V. Foley, chairman of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has died, according to a statement from the district.
Foley died Friday after a long battle with cancer. He was 83.
Foley was one of four Municipal...

Local bird photographer Steve Smith walked around the southern entrance of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, hoping to get another glimpse of the elusive light-footed clapper rail.
With a super telephoto lens attached to his camera, Smith wasn't...

The Huntington Beach City Council took a defiant stance against a major water retailer Monday as Poseidon's controversial desalination project again took center stage.
Until now, the city had opted to pay to be informed about studies conducted in...

Huntington Beach is looking to change its water rate structure over the coming years in response to a new state mandate and to promote conservation.
With that in mind, council members and city staff met for a study session Monday at which public works...

The Municipal Water District of Orange County named Robert Hunter the new general manager, according to a statement by the water provider.
Hunter previously worked as the commissioner of the regional water utility in Atlanta and was the vice president for MWH Americas, a company that does water infrastructure consulting, according to the statement.
He will begin the job Sept. 9, replacing interim general manager Karl Seckel. MWDOC spokeswoman Darcy Burke said Seckel will return to his previous...

When I spoke to Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) a few days ago, he was cautiously optimistic that the bipartisan Assembly Bill 1102, which he co-authored with Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), would clear its first hurdle this week.
It did. The bill was approved Monday by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and will move on to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Jan. 22.
As described by Allen, AB 1102 would "protect the Southern California tradition of beach...

Gov. Jerry Brown recently declared a drought state of emergency. His proclamation gives state water officials more flexibility to manage the supply throughout California under drought conditions.
This announcement should not come as a surprise to Southern Californians, being that we live in a semi-desert region. The average rainfall in the region is 13 inches. However, rainfall in 2013 was a mere 3.6 inches, making it the driest year on record.
The declaration has caused a bit of panic and rightfully...

Negotiations to buy water from a planned desalination plant in Huntington Beach have stopped while Poseidon Resources waits to resolve a similar situation in San Diego County.
The Orange County meetings have been on hold since December while the city of Carlsbad irons out an agreement with the San Diego County Water Authority to buy Poseidon's water. Nearly two dozen Orange County agencies have been in talks with the Connecticut-based company for several years.
Poseidon has not taken part in the talks...

Earth Day falls on a Sunday this year.
The folks at Bolsa Chica celebrated Earth Day on April 14 with tours, live snakes, and even a bounce house for children. The Amigos de Bolsa Chica, the Bolsa Chica Conservancy, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and the California Department of Fish and Game put on the event.
Vic had a station at the event where he showed people how to survey for migratory birds. Kids visiting the station were shown how to use binoculars, then asked to count the birds on the mudflats in...

To quote Ronald Reagan, "There they go again."
Promises, promises...for years, yet nary a drop of water. And let me tell you it isn't the wicked environmentalists holding up Poseidon's drifting ship. To throw a little "fresh water" on the issue, the problem lies with the CCC, and I'm not talking about the California Coastal Commission, though I think our Poseidon crew does indeed have its work cut out for them.
C. #1: Cash. The big elephant in the room. Where is the money going to come from? When the...

The field of candidates for Huntington Beach City Council was finalized Friday afternoon, with 12 contenders — including two former mayors — in the running for three open seats.
Dave Sullivan, who served on the council from 1992 to 2000 and from 2002 to 2006, filed his paperwork shortly before the deadline at 5 p.m. Friday. Billy O'Connell, executive director of the nonprofit Colette's Children's Home, and Tony James Carter, a small businessman, also entered the race on the final day.
The...